President Barack Obama on Tuesday plans to highlight his administration's work alongside researchers and the private sector to develop vehicles that "talk" to each other using wireless technology, according to The Associated Press.
In a visit to a government highway research center in Virginia, Obama is expected to tout work on so-called vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technology to improve navigation, according to the White House, the AP reported.
The technology allows cars, trucks and other vehicles to send real-time information wirelessly, an innovation researchers hope can help reduce accidents and boost fuel efficiency by alleviating traffic, according to the AP.
Obama tested everything from the seat of a Saturn driving simulator, a rare chance for the president to get behind a wheel - even if it was only on a virtual road, the AP reported.
"As the father of a daughter who just turned 16, any new technology that makes driving safer is important to me, and new technology that makes driving smarter is good for the economy," according to the AP.
U.S. regulators are already crafting a proposed rule that would require all new vehicles to use such technology, which could be put in place by early 2017 before Obama leaves office, the AP reported.
At Tuesday's event, Obama is expected to showcase efforts to ensure vehicle-to-vehicle communication is safe, pointing to a joint effort between leading carmakers and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, according to the AP.
Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen AG are all part of the research effort, according to the White House, the AP reported.
Current tests are looking at how wireless technology could improve safety when used with sensor-based technologies aimed at deterring vehicle crashes, the White House said, according to the AP.
The Transportation Department has finished two phases of testing, it added. One pilot study involved "a highly concentrated environment of vehicles 'talking' to each other" with 3,000 cars, trucks and buses, while another focused on driver acceptance issues, the AP reported.
